A false nose, funky ‘tache and a funny hat...
Does anyone else ever suffer from Imposter syndrome? I’m not beating around bush on this one, I’m just going to be honest- I’ll be happily going along confident that I know what I’m doing and that I’m good at doing it. Then, wham! Imposter syndrome will smack me in the face.
I’m lucky I guess that it doesn’t happen too often but when it does it’s the oddest feeling- self doubt can be crippling if it’s not managed.
Here’s my top 5 tips for dealing with those feelings when, or if, they arise:
Talk - don’t internalise as that won’t help, bounce your thoughts off someone else and get their (much more rational) perspective
Reflect - on the good things you have done, the successes and the wins, look at your own testimonials
Review - what triggered your feeling? If it was a mistake review how it happened and how you can stop it happening again
Stop - take a break, it may just be simple overwhelm - and panic- that’s causing the feeling
Accept - it’s perfectly natural to feel this, it’s a normal part of growth which can be scary so accept those feelings as being valid, just don’t let them dictate your actions
You should never pretend to be something you’re not (like, never pretend to be a fire dancer because that won’t end well) but you should be your own cheerleader and live up to the hype other people share about you.